FOOD SAFETY OF THE SHORT SUPPLY CHAIN - Favv

cooperation initiatives

cooperation initiatives and production units with the possibility of multiple inputs and thus potential sources of contamination, a more advanced traceability system and systematic management of food safety based upon HACCP would be recommended. Many short chain meat producers are looking for small scale slaughterhouses, some of them set up as cooperative initiatives. Most producers in the short meat chain are also aiming to limit the transport time of the animals to the slaughterhouse which may reduce the shedding of pathogens such as Salmonella, and provide meat processing after slaughter in the slaughterhouse in their own processing plants. These initiatives may limit the multiple contamination sources found in conventional large scale slaughterhouses and processing plants. The peculiarity of the short chain is offering also some opportunities concerning product quality characteristics as taste, freshness, nutritional value and microbiological food safety. Generally food processing techniques such as heat treatment are applied to ensure microbiological safety and to prolong the shelf life of food products. Due to the direct link between and combination of activities of primary production, processing and selling, the short chain offers opportunities for i) better control of the quality of agricultural products during production, at harvest and postharvest storage; ii) shortening the time period needed between harvest or processing and sale; iii) direct communication and informal transfer of knowledge internally between employees, but also face to face from vendor to consumer on storage, handling and preparation thus enabling the marketing of less intensive processed food products with balanced product quality and microbiological safety; iv) guidance, training and networking for exchanging information provided by either public or private organizations to farmers or businesses in the short food supply chain, which may enhance the capacity to deliver high quality and safe foods to the consumer; and v) simplified rules and control systems to be put in place. This is illustrated by some examples: In the production of processed fruit products as fruit juices, a more limited processing of high quality primary products can lead to an improved preservation of vitamins, anti‐oxidants and phenol components. The Sci Com advice 15‐2011 stressed the microbiological risks of the raw milk consumption mainly due to zoonotic agents carried by the cattle. As major benefit of raw milk and raw milk processed products, the superior taste was identified. The short chain offers opportunities to control the risk of zoonotic agents in the raw milk by careful monitoring of the agents at the cattle level. 40